CHAPTER NINE
It seemed to take forever to return to Colin's house. When they arrived, Colin took Anna directly across the entry hall and up the stairs to his room. As he predicted, her clothes were hung in the armoire and his bed was made.
"Get changed. I'll wait in the parlor," he directed as he pulled the doors closed.
Anna stood still for a few moments, and tried to compose herself. She took several deep breaths as she caught her reflection in the mirror. As she pulled the hat from her head, her fiery hair cascaded around her shoulders. It seemed to fall in slow motion. She placed the hat on the bureau, and sat on the side of the freshly made bed.
"How could Chase be so cruel? To have her in the office? So everyone will know what he is doing?" she asked her reflection as humiliation and anger roiled within.
Anna looked around at Colin's room then collapsed on the comforter. It felt cool and comfortable. She was so tired she knew that if she did not get up, she would most likely fall asleep. It would not be wise.
It only took a few seconds to kick off her shoes and remove Colin's clothes, leaving them folded on the chair. She started toward the armoire and stopped. Was it the lure of doing something forbidden that was so attractive to Chase? Perhaps.
Anna removed the remainder of her undergarments and slipped under the comforter, nestling into Colin's bed. It was soft and she could smell his cologne on the pillows. The thought of what she was doing excited her more than she could have imagined. She was in Colin's bed, and waited for him to come looking for her. What would happen when he returned? The thought thrilled her. What would it be like to…?
There was a tap on the door. She could scarcely draw breath enough to call out.
"Who is it?" she finally managed to say as she sat up clutching the covering to her throat. The thought of it being Elise crossed her mind.
"Colin. Are you all right?"
Anna bit her lip in indecision. The anticipation consumed her. She could hear her own heart pounding.
"Come in." She lowered the comforter to just above her breasts, excitement built inside of her.
Colin entered the room, and came to an abrupt halt. He drew a deep breath, momentarily frozen in place. He had removed his coat; his chest strained against his vest. He stared—obviously going through the same thought process she had moments before. As his lips curled into his lovely sinful smile, he closed the door, and took great care in securing the lock. With slow and measured steps to the bedside, Colin removed his vest, and tossed it on the chair. He wore a dangerous look in his eyes, which locked on her.
"What do you think you're doing in there?" he asked softly. He sat on the bed, and stroked her arm lightly with his fingertips. His touch sent a shiver of anticipation through her.
"I'm not exactly sure," Anna answered truthfully. "I hoped you might show me what I could be doing in here."
"Anna." He stroked her cheek. "You shouldn't be here and you know it."
He caressed her face. His words reprimanded her but his touch conveyed hidden desire. Anna took his hand to kiss his palm. He combed his fingers upward, and curled them into a handful of her hair. Turning her face upward, he lightly kissed her lips before he moved to her neck and shoulder. Anna closed her eyes as she took in all of the sensations so new to her, sensations she had never before experienced. He hesitated as she lay back against the pillows.
As he hovered above her, Anna ran her palms down his neck to his shoulders and chest. She could feel heat radiating through the thin material of his shirt, and the warmth of his fingertips that caressed her neck. Savoring his touch, she opened each button with trembling fingers, and finally pushed the shirt from his shoulders.
He shook the shirt off, and allowed it to drop to the floor. He tossed the comforter back to stretch himself beside her. Anna found herself wrapped in his arms, his mouth on hers. Passion bloomed and Anna knew in those few moments that she would accept whatever Colin would offer.
His kisses were tender and sweet. His touch was stimulating, yet guarded, a restrained passion, as if an animal fierceness threatened to break forth at any moment.
What she was doing was wrong, but she didn't care, and she reveled in the feel of his body pressed to hers. As she freely responded to his touch, he suddenly pulled away, and sat up with his back to her, his head bowed. He slammed his still-booted feet to the floor.
"What's wrong?" Anna sat up behind him. She pressed her palms to his back, and felt the pounding of his heart.
"Anna, why…?" He paused, breathless. A quiet sigh escaped his lips. He whispered after a long silence, "Is this truly what you want?" He turned to face her. Tiny beads of perspiration dotted his brow.
"Don't you?" She hoped he did.
"Your reasons are what concern me." He raked his fingers through his hair to push it back from his face as he stood. He retrieved her clothes from the armoire; cast them across the bed, his dark eyes on her. "What I want…" He stopped, and eyed her with an unmistakable hunger. "It doesn't matter what I want. I won't be a tool of revenge for you to use against your husband."
Anna realized he was right. She felt suddenly ashamed, and gathered the comforter to cover her body. "I'm so sorry."
"I'm sorry, too." He drew a discontented breath, his fists momentarily curled at his sides. "More than you will ever know." He stroked her cheek tenderly once more, scooped his shirt off the floor and left the room with the slam of the door.
To Be Continued...
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination, or are fictitiously used. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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© 2008 Jena Galifany/Marge Conrad
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